Twisting and turning - Ireland's roads get a bad rap international but is it warranted?
Photo by: Google Images

Irish roads and driving in Ireland generally get a bad rap internationally but remember Ireland is only 250 miles long and 174 miles wide so getting around really isn't that hard - if you can avoid potholes you can swim in, animals, tractors, signs to nowhere, etc.

You might think the fact that some road signs in Ireland are in Irish (as Gaelige) might cause a few problems but honestly this is the least of your worries. Either you will not see a road sign for miles on end or you will come to a junction and be greeted wtih something like this mess.

As if this wasn't confusing enough you might also be greated by confusing signs such as these.

What exactly they're trying to convey is beyond us!

Honesty

Don't worry at least the Irish are honest about the state of their roads. Recently this deathly honest sign was spotted in a rural location.

And of course everyone remembers earlier this year when Cork man Liam Keane actually went swimming in a pothole in the North Cork village of Lismire.

Here's the video:

Animal activity

There's also a stereotypical view that the roads in Ireland are littered with livestock. For example this popular, and mocking, postcard below of "Rush Hour" in Ireland.

Of course, then again there is the activity you'll spot inside Irish cars that's often quite worrying.

Or even worse! What might actually fall out of a car...or a hearse.

Driving in Ireland is different and us Irish understand that Americans and others might not be used to roundabouts, or rotarys, as they're called in the US. Whatever you do don't panic and remember to drive in the right direction!

If you think we're joking there are actually 14 roundabouts outside Galway city and each lends its name to the name of the city's famous tribes.

Here's the Kirwan roundabout:

The only thing to do in Ireland is keep your wits about you on the roads. And remember that it's not entirely unlikely that you will meet this man on the road...